Fall Pumpkin Ideas to Delight

If you’re looking for some Fall Pumpkin Ideas to Delight, look no further. I’ve got recipes, crafts, and even pumpkin tips to share with you. If you’re getting excited about autumn being right around the corner, this is your guide to all things pumpkin.

We’ve got some non-traditional pumpkin desserts, some savory pumpkin dishes, adorable pumpkin craft projects to decorate your home with, and even a pumpkin beauty product that is perfect for a home spa treatment. If you love fall and pumpkins as much as we do, you have got to check these ideas out.

Fall Pumpkin Ideas to Delight

If I’m going to share a bunch of pumpkin stuff, I suppose I should begin this post with a confession – I hate pumpkin pie. I have this thing about texture, you know? Love the taste of bananas, can’t eat fresh ones because of the stringy texture. It’s the same with pumpkin pie. Still, I do love the taste of pumpkin in other recipes.

One more pumpkin confession/story time: When I was in university, one summer I returned home to London, Ontario and worked at our local amusement park Storybook Gardens. My job? Well, I was Peter Peter the Pumpkin Eater’s wife and yes indeed, they placed me inside a giant pumpkin shell that served as a snack bar/souvenir stand.

The worst part wasn’t actually that I was stuck inside a pumpkin shell all day…it was that the dang peacocks inhabiting the park seemed to have a great fascination for ice cream (my number one item for sale) and they were constantly jumping up on the counter, squawking loudly, and attempting to peck at my hands trying to get to the ice cream. Good times. Okay, on to the good stuff!

My daughter’s first Hallowe’en, age 4 months

Here she is a couple years later “helping” carve Jack O Lanterns!

How to Choose a Good Pumpkin: As with other fruit, you need to sniff your pumpkins! There should be a fresh pumpkin smell. Pumpkins should feel firm and there should be no soft spots, splits, or mould on them. You want a pumpkin that feels heavy for its size and that has a lovely consistent colour. The skin should be smooth and free of wrinkles. A green stem is an indicator of a fresh pumpkin and the stem should feel firmly attached to the pumpkin. There is a difference between a good cooking pumpkin and a good Jack O’Lantern pumpkin. In our stores, there are smaller pumpkins labelled as “pie pumpkins” which are the best for cooking with as they are meatier, have firmer flesh, and are sweeter. Those large ones you see all over the place at this time of year tend to be too stringy and fibrous and the meat in them is usually somewhat watery and bland.

Storing pumpkins: It is essential that you store pumpkins out of direct sunlight as just like with all fruits, the sun will simply accelerate the rate of ripening and spoilage. In addition, pumpkins need to be kept in a location where they will be safe from frost. If using pumpkins as part of an outdoor display, covering them with blankets at night may be sufficient in protecting them from an overnight freezing. Pumpkins can be stored successfully inside your home for a few weeks but room temperature is too warm for long term storage. For longer storage, they need to be kept in someplace cooler like a cold cellar or a barn or even a covered porch. Pumpkins should not be placed directly on hard surfaces – use something like cardboard underneath them to cushion them. A loose layer of straw over the pumpkins will help much in the way that the blankets do to protect them from freezing and you should place the pumpkins in a single layer to allow air to circulate freely around them. Kept properly most varieties of pumpkins will keep for 3-6 months if you can keep the mice away from them! You should check on these frequently in case any of them do begin to spoil sooner than expected so that you can remove them and hopefully use them up quickly while still viable!

Learn more about how to choose the perfect carving pumpkin here.

Find some really cute no carve pumpkin decorating ideas here.

Learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project here and find some ideas for non-edible treat ideas.

You can save the seeds from your pumpkin and make roasted pumpkin seeds.

Make your own pumpkin spice blend at home: Pumpkin spice mixture recipe here

Want to have a pumpkin spice latte at home? Skip the coffee shop and make your own PSL creamer: Pumpkin spice creamer.